House Smoked Salmon Dip Recipe

Prepare salmon

Remove any skin from the hot-smoked salmon and flake the flesh into bite-sized pieces. Check for bones and remove if present.

In a medium bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice and Dijon mustard until smooth and slightly fluffy using a fork or spatula. If you prefer a silkier texture, drizzle in the olive oil while mixing.

Fold in the flaked smoked salmon, chopped capers, minced shallot and chopped chives. Mix gently to combine so there are visible flakes of salmon throughout.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Start with the listed amounts, then adjust. Chill the dip in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld (you can chill up to 2 hours).

Before serving, give the dip a final stir and taste for seasoning; add additional lemon or salt if needed.

Prepare the egg yolks: if you don't already have hard-cooked yolks, gently boil eggs for 10–12 minutes, cool in ice water, peel and separate yolks from whites. Mash the yolks with a fork in a small bowl until fairly smooth.

Whisk the mashed yolks with Dijon mustard and white wine vinegar until combined into a thick paste.

Slowly whisk in the neutral oil a little at a time to create a loose emulsified sauce. The gribiche should be creamy but slightly chunky from the egg yolk.

Stir in the finely diced pickles (or cornichons), chopped capers, minced shallot, chopped parsley and tarragon. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then taste and adjust acidity or seasoning as desired.

Cover and refrigerate the gribiche for at least 15 minutes to let flavors marry. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Arrange melba toasts or crostini on a serving platter.

Spoon the smoked salmon dip into a shallow serving bowl. Place the bowl on the platter surrounded by melba toasts.

Spoon a small dollop (about 1 tsp) of sauce gribiche onto each portion of dip as you serve, or pass the gribiche separately so guests can add their own. Alternatively, drizzle a little gribiche over the top of the dip for a decorative finish.

Garnish the dip with extra chopped chives and a few dill sprigs. Serve with lemon wedges on the side for those who want added brightness.

Serve immediately so melba toasts remain crisp. Leftover dip will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; gribiche will keep up to 3 days.